Darkness Rising
by Sunburned-Stickperson
Summary: Alex gets sent to deal with PARIAH.


Alex stood in the stark white room, looking down at the small child with the blue ball in his hands. It had bright blue eyes and a messy head of brown hair with blonde highlights. Figures he'd look like her child. No wonder she wanted him so much. It blinked at him. He blinked back.

"Pariah."

The child nodded slowly, once and tilted its head. "Who you?"

"Alex Mercer."

"Play ball?"

He stepped forward, and the child stepped back. The stark white clothes looked horrid on its all ready pale skin.

"No touch. Bad."

"You won't hurt me." He could feel the child's worry and fear, and he knelt on one knee, holding out his hand. "Trust me."

It shook its head. "Hurt you."

"I can heal you."

Pariah blinked. "No, I kill you."

"I can heal you."

The child whimpered but did, in fact, step forward. Alex kept his hand out, his expression one of twisted sympathy and passiveness. He wasn't doing this on his own accord. The military, which he had affiliated himself with under strict rules, had asked him to get near the child. Perhaps they hoped he would die—but Greene was telling him otherwise. She had never completely died, always a happy little voice hissing advice and giving reassurance when he needed it: the mother he never had.

He was going to raise this child the right way. Teach it how to age itself and how to think, make it more than a child. He would make it his, cultivate it to hate the Blackwatch, teach it how to murder without infecting. Turn it into the deadliest weapon since himself. Greene was pleased, a small giggle in the back of his head. He watched the child reach out tentatively and place its hand in his, and he offered a semi-sincere, soft smile. Its eyes grew wide when he failed to die under the child's touch and grasped his hand tightly. Its hands were so soft and tiny. So much power bubbling beneath that beautiful skin.

He passed his other hand over its arm, letting himself dissolve and penetrate deep into its skin. He could feel his virus hunt the other and drag it into his own body—adapt and evolve, grow and overcome. The child was silently watching with wide, curious eyes. Greene shrieked in glee at the taste of the new strain of virus, and he tensed when the child jerked.

"Your mother," he whispered, closing his eyes as he felt the transfer of power. "Our mother."

The child stepped forward, and he looked to feel two small arms hug him, the ball awkwardly squished between them. He smiled softly again, wrapping his arm around him and letting the ropes of virus surround the child. He inhaled at the feel of the power bubbling, waiting, writhing. He could hear the whispers of the men behind him, wondering what he was doing, if he would really cure Pariah. He would do so much more. He would add and blend, share and combine their powers to become stronger. He shared his memories of Greene, Greene's memories of Hope, and Pariah's memories of here. Wicked tests and horrid pain wracked his body as he shared himself with the small child.

He looked down when he heard a soft noise, and the child was staring up at him. He picked it up and kissed its head before he pulled back slightly and let it run its hands over his face. He caught one on his cheek and nuzzled against it, pressing a kiss to its palm. It wore a smile.

"Who you?"

Alex was silent for a moment, then realized there would be no point in lying.

"I am the Blacklight virus, Alex J. Mercer."

The child blinked at him. "I Pariah."

Alex hugged it tightly as he felt it nuzzle its face into his neck. "No, you are not Pariah."

"Who I then?"

Greene hissed to them, and both winced, but Alex felt her settle back down now that her sons were reunited. He bent over and picked up the ball to keep.

"You are the Blacklight virus, James T. Mercer."

"James T. Mercer."

"Yes. My brother."

"My brother."

The boy was clinging to the ball, nestled securely in his arms. He turned, one hand dangling by his side as he drew the child's power. He could feel a pleasant burn in the palm of his hand as he stepped toward the Blackwatch troops waiting to take the child for testing.

"They bad."

"Yes, they're bad."

All ready, his thoughts and beliefs were permeating the child's brain. It wouldn't be long before he hated Blackwatch just as much as him for turning him into a monster. When he reached them, the commander stepped forward, and Alex grinned manically, clasping his hand down on the commander's shoulder, and the commander screamed above the hiss as James T. Mercer's strain of Blacklight ate through the armor and killed him, the others were all backing up. Dana was frozen in the middle of the room, watching as the man twisted and writhed before falling still. He dismissed the burn to approach his sister, who sank back. If only she were a part of the virus, he could placate her from the killing. Some men had to die to pave a safe path for others. That commander would've tortured him. The other men were just in for the ride.

"Killed bad man," James murmured.

"Yes, I killed a bad man."

"Alex—you fucking—you fucking killed him! Just like Pariah used to…"

He brushed a hand along her cheek, then carded his fingers through her hair and traced a hand along her jaw before pulling her into a kiss, deep and passionate as their first one from back after the Penn Station outbreak. Eventually, she'd have to be infected, but he'd put that off as long as possible. When he pulled back, she was flushed and short of breath. He smiled softly.

"James," he murmured. "Greene named him James."

She nodded, still a little freaked out, and he pulled her close.

"Who she?"

"Dana A. Mercer."

"Sister."

"Yes, our sister."

He took his sister's hand and started walking out with them, silent as he exposed the child to the base outside of him. The soldiers were all ready on guard, and word of his kill of the commander must have been spread. He paced back to the chopper and sat down, Dana leaning against him as James settled in his lap. The Blacklight virus was finally together again, and Alex could feel himself be calmed, Greene all ready sunken into the back of his mind like a bad memory, and James was looking around, his blue ball still in his hands as the chopper lifted into the sky. Alex looked out the window at the glowing sky. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, and he was reminded of how early Dana had been waken to come change Pariah. The boy looked out the window as well, amazed.

"What that?"

Alex ran a hand through his hair as he settled back against his chest.

"It's dawn. The dawn of a new day."


End file.
